High grades, sibling discounts: How some UAE students are saving up to 100% on university tuition fees

Jordanian expat Zain Osama was thrilled to receive a 40 per cent scholarship at the American University of Sharjah (AUS).

For years, high costs have been a significant barrier for students wishing to pursue their desired courses at prestigious institutions, with things being no different in the UAE.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Zain said: “The university looks at your average grade(s) when you are applying, and a student automatically becomes eligible for a scholarship. Scholarships definitely lessen the burden for any parent when there are many children in a family, and typically Arab families are big. Our tuition fee is Dh110,000 per year. So, for four years it’s Dh420,000.”

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Siblings get additional scholarships

Zain got an additional 25 per cent discount for herself as her elder brother was attending the university at the same time.

“My elder brother and I went to the same university for two years, which gave me an extra 25 per cent discount, bringing my total discount to 65 per cent since I had a sibling studying there concurrently. After my brother graduated, the discount automatically reverted to 40 per cent. I need to maintain a GPA (grade point average of all courses taken in a semester) above 2.75 to maintain the scholarship,” said the final year student who is pursuing Media Communication with a focus in Journalism.

AUS has allocated funds specifically for high-achieving undergraduate students who have limited financial means. Admitted students can apply for financial grants without regard to their race, colour, gender, religion, or national origin.

First-time students at AUS may be eligible for a financial grant, a merit-based scholarship, and a family tuition grant, which is provided to the younger sibling when a family enrols two or more children at the university.

These grants and scholarships can collectively cover up to 55 per cent of tuition and fees. After completing their first semester, students may also qualify for additional scholarships.

Provision of adding onto existing scholarships

Like Zain, another student, Fatima Haziq, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Information Systems and Business Analytics, has also secured a 50 per cent scholarship at the same university.

“These scholarships that are based on your high school grades are a lot more achievable as opposed to competitive ones. There are competitive scholarships for 100 per cent tuition fee coverage at AUS given to only a handful.”

“Once you join AUS, there are different scholarships that you can apply for. You can add on to your existing one; for example, I got in with a 50 per cent scholarship, and then got an increase because I was on the Dean’s list. If you get a 3.5 GPA in a semester then you are eligible to be on the Dean’s list, which increased my scholarship to 60 per cent," said Fatima.

"If you get that twice in a semester then you are eligible to be on the Chancellor’s list which is 20 per cent and then then the overall scholarship becomes 70 per cent,” she added.

Furthermore, Fatima mentioned the university’s 'Active Student Scholarship', is designed to support exceptional students who excel in extracurricular activities and whose achievements motivate others to reach their potential.

However, it’s important to note that if students do not maintain their academic performance, any additional scholarships will be revoked.

“It's quite common to lose a scholarship, for example, in the School of Engineering, maintaining a high GPA can be more difficult. However, keeping a 50 per cent scholarship is relatively manageable, as it only requires a 3.3 GPA. Achieving a 3.5 GPA, on the other hand, is much more difficult.”

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